Bouncer-bash man in coma

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The distraught family of a man in a coma after being bashed
outside a Chadstone pub has appealed for witnesses to come forward
and help police.

Marcus McDonald, 35, of Hawthorn, is believed to have been
struck to the head by a bouncer outside the Matthew Flinders Hotel
in Warrigal Road just before midnight last Saturday.

Mr McDonald had been removed by a security guard from the pub's
Tom Thumb Bar and was knocked unconscious when his head hit the
footpath after the assault.

He remains in a critical condition at The Alfred hospital.

A sales representative and father of two, he had gone to the pub
to relax with a friend.

His brother, Shane McDonald, said too many club patrons were
being assaulted outside venues in Melbourne.

"From the family's point of view, what occurred shouldn't have
occurred. He was a happy-go-lucky bloke and a good family man. This
sort of thing is happening too often," he said.

Mr McDonald's sister, Gabriel Berquez, appealed to people
queueing outside the hotel on Saturday night who witnessed the
assault to contact police.

"You need to come forward because he (Mr McDonald) doesn't have
a voice and you're his voice," she said.

"He's got a boy and a girl. How do you explain to them what
happened?"

Another brother, Paul McDonald, said the family was struggling
to cope with the trauma. "We've been through a hell of a lot," he
said.

A police spokeswoman said detectives had interviewed a male
security guard working at the hotel but had not yet laid any
charges.

The State Government said earlier this year it would introduce
tough new laws to control Victoria's private security industry
after the death of former cricketer David Hookes outside St Kilda's
Beaconsfield Hotel in January.

A 32-year-old man also died on February 18 after being assaulted
outside a nightclub in Brighton.

Anyone with information on the Chadstone incident is
asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.